Sitting in my Blog Fodder file for a few weeks has been this article from the August 15th issue of Business Week: The Popularity Issue. It lists the most popular items from various categories, and says something about the things we like. Here are a few of the favorites from the list (with my commentary, of course)...
Favorite Dog: Labrador. What's not to like about a Lab? They're gangly and lovable as puppies, big and playful as adults, friendly, eager-to-please, and loyal to an almost embarrassing fault. The only drawback is - as I can tell you from sharing the house with Nessa - that a Chocolate Lab sheds enough fur every three days to knit a new dog.
Favorite Car Color: White. What's up with this? How can white be the favorite color for a car? In order to keep a white car white after it leaves the showroom, you have to wash it about three times a day. And oh-by-the-way, good luck with finding your white-ish car among the bazillion other white-ish cars in the giant mall parking lot.
Favorite Item at Wal-Mart: Bananas. Get that potassium fix at the lowest possible price. Who doesn't love bananas?
Favorite Job: Sales Clerk. I wonder if favorite is really the right adjective for this one. Perhaps "most available" would be better than favorite. Anyone who's ever been a sales clerk (i.e., just about everybody) can tell you about long hours on their feet, dealing with rude and abusive customers, low pay, and yucky schedules. But it's a job, right?
Favorite Fish: Shrimp. Someone once called shrimp "the cockroaches of the sea." That's an unfortunate dis for something as tasty as it is ugly. I wouldn't have thought of shrimp as a "fish," but who am I to argue with the classifiers of the Food and Drug Administration?
And finally,
Favorite Vacation: France. If you like supreme culture, beautiful landscapes and architecture, and people who look down their noses at you, France is the vacation destination for you. My advice: visit the Alsace-Lorraine region. It's been conquered back and forth between France and Germany so often that the people are as much German as French, and you get the wonderful food of France with the organization and good manners of the Germans.
So, Dear Readers, what are your favorite things?
And now it's back to work after a wonderful holiday weekend. Sigh.
Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.
Bilbo
sales clerk job = evil..however most evil version is retail manager...been there done that...
ReplyDeleteHow coincidental...today, I have started declaring that my favorite fruit is the pineapple. I have been allergic to it for most of my life but all of a sudden...I'm not anymore! All I can think about is pineapple now.
ReplyDeleteI recently saw a bumber sticker that said "I know there's a hell, I work in retail" - how true that is. I also doubt white is the favorite car color. I think it is just the most available. I read that manufacturer's make a lot of white cars not because people like them but because most people don't hate them and will settle for it.
ReplyDeleteFavorite Drink: Guiness
ReplyDeleteFavorite Blog: Bilbo's of course (I like mine too sometimes - but need to talk about my kids poop less)
Favorite TV show: Daily Show
Great music; not the noise that is called music that is popular today. A great melody with great harmony. It can come in any form. For example, I like bluegrass (as long as there is no singing). The blend of the instruments in a bluegrass band is some of the purest of harmonies. Of course, as a retired high school band director, the Canadian Brass is a favorite.
ReplyDeleteAndrea - I hear you!
ReplyDeleteAmanda - My absolute, all-time, no-holds-barred favorite dessert is Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. Now that you can eat pineapple, maybe I can treat you to it some day!
Anonymous - interesting point about white cars...sounds true enough to be real.
Chrissy - Awwwww...next time you're in DC, I'm buying you a Guiness, kid poop or no kid poop.
Bandit - I love great music, too, but the definition of "great music" tends to be a very personal sort of thing. I could listen to The Statler Brothers and Jimmy Buffett all day long, I love classical music, hate rap/hip-hop, and enjoy playing Gregorian Chants while I work. Pretty much all over the board, eh?
Fav Show- The View and The Bachelor Pad
ReplyDeleteFavorite Drink- Southern Sweet Tea w/ lemon
Favorite Job- One where the pay is worth the work
Favorite Color- Maroon
favorite dog is Lab!
ReplyDeleteDrink - tangueray
job - last one downsized from :-(
car color - white -easiest to look clean believe it or not.
Favorite thing to be?": large lottery winner!
So Bilbo, Do you smoke cigarettes while watching Captain Kangaroo and play solitaire with a deck of 51? I am also a fellow parrothead.
ReplyDeleteI think I would rather holler 'SHRIIIIIIIMMMMPPPP' than BAAACCCOOOOOONNNNN! But it just doesn't sound right.
ReplyDeleteWas the car 'white' thingy a set up? You obviously know white is not a color, right?
Raquel - love that sweet tea! Not as much as gin and tonic, but it's all good.
ReplyDeleteMargaret (Peggy or Peg too) - welcome! Glad to have you. Come back again soon.
Bandit - now don't tell me I've nothing to do! And I am a proud Parrothead of long standing.
Mike - of course I know white is not a color. White is the absence of color. That's why you have to get a white car dirty to give it some color. Now I'm confused. Just forget I brought it up.
I have to think on this a while -- and now after reading your comments I can't get that damn Statler Bros. song out of my head!!!!!
ReplyDelete